Solace in Difficulties
by FartherAway4ever
Summary: An unsual pairing. . . Padma of Ravenclaw and Draco of Slytherin
1. Back Home?

Disclaimer: I don't own the characters but I do own the plot

Chapter One:

Draco Malfoy settled down on an empty seat in the Hogwarts Express. The two dumbbells, his so-called bodyguards, were supposed to arrive by now. But the way he knew them, they probably got lost in the train...and maybe stumbled upon a few suspecting enemies. He sighed, he might as well do something to keep himself from being bored. Draco started going through his stuff to find something to keep him occupied. But alas, he could not find anything, it seemed that he kept everything very boring. Draco stared out through the window, watching the moving scenery. It was a drowsy day, rain that flowed everywhere, pattering on the windows. It's the kind of weather that perfectly fits Draco's mood.

Over the past summer, Draco had seemed to change, a lot. He went from being a Malfoy to just simply Draco. His house suddenly became always been empty. Ever since Voldemort rose up again, his father has been away on missions to murder the Muggles and find a plan to kill that Four-eye. 'What was so special about this boy, besides the fact that he was the boy who lived?' he thought. Is that maybe he has powers that maybe old Voldie would want? Perhaps the Potty is actually a Seer, it just seemed possible for the fact that he overheard him telling his friends about the "futuristic" dreams he had.

While Draco was deep into his thoughts, the door to the almost empty car suddenly opened. He was broken off his trance and snapped his head towards the door, thinking that it was those two jumbo dumbos. Instead, it was a girl he knew by face but not by name. She had a long black hair that was braided and tied with a red scrunchie. She was dressed in normal denim jeans and a shirt with some sort of design. She had like a milk chocolate skin, but from what Draco could see, for sure she was not an African-American. Her face screwed in a slight disgust once she found out who was sitting in the empty compartment, but all the others were filled so it couldn't hurt to try to socialize with the screwball.

"Can I sit here? All the other compartments are filled." She asked, a bit hesitantly

"Um, yeah sure, its fine" He replied in a monotone voice, showing no expression

She was a bit surprised. From what she heard, he was a snide boy who didn't give a damn about anybody. She soon recovered and sat opposite from him next to the window. She studied him a bit. He was so ghostly pale, and the black robes just made him look like milk. He was an okay looking guy, he would look cute if he had some color on his face. She was sure that compared to him, she must look like real dark.

'Wow' she thought ' This has to be the most boring thing I had to do in my whole lifetime'. She stared out the scenery and just thought about the years that's about to come.

Meanwhile Draco took this time to study her a bit. She was pretty, a nice shade of brown and shiny black hair that just cascaded down her back. He was dying to hear her name or the house she belonged to.

"What's your name?" Draco asked

"Oh, Padma Patil" she replied.

"What house?"

"Ravenclaw" She answered this with a lot of pride in her voice.

Draco just nodded and looked back through the window. There was nothing interesting there.

This continued for a while. Both of them not saying a word, but occasionally taking a glance at each other. The train was about to arrive to their destination, so Padma stood up to go change her robes. When she was gone, Draco took the opportunity to change into his. He was only just putting on his uniform shirt when the door opened once again to reveal Padma. She gasped at the sight. His pale back was covered in painful looking scars and lashes.

"Do you mind?" He asked

She shook her head slowly and waited outside until he was done. When she entered, she looked at him as if expecting him to say anything. He simply looked at her and said

"Do I a favor? Don't tell a single person about this ok?"

She nodded and Draco went back looking out the window. Padma, however, couldn't get her mind off what she saw. Who gave him those scars? Who would be so cruel to torture him like that and leave him in agony? She knew that this was Malfoy, but still, even he didn't deserve this. She took one final look at him and joined him at watching the passing scenery.

The train stopped abruptly in front of the huge lake. The ports were bordered with floating ferries, ready to take the students aboard. Some first years, Draco observed, appear to be fascinated with the castle and boats and all, while the others look scared for their lives. The students made it slowly to the boats, careful not to tilt the boat over. The huge giant, Hagrid, was gently helping the ones in trouble. The Three Musketeers, Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, and Hermione Granger, was chatting happily. At the sight of them, Draco felt a twang of jealousy. Why couldn't he have real friends that understood him like the ways those three do? Quickly, he erased the feeling. It was too sickening to think that he would be jealous of Potty, who, to Draco, is just a nobody. It was obvious that people only liked him because he was the hero.

Draco was last in line to board on the ferry. He didn't appear to care though, he was last in almost everything. Even he has to admit, the whole school hates him. Everyone thought that he was the son of a Deatheater, and that he would turn out that way too. As he came on the boat, he noticed that almost all the seats were filled. When he spotted one seat, it was next to Potty and the rest of the dreamteam. Draco soon withdrew back, and just decided to just stand. But the ride was so slow and long, he was beginning to get real tired of this. Padma, who was observing him, soon waved her hands so she would get spotted by him. Draco saw her and with a bit of hesitance, made his way to the empty seat next to her.

"Thought you would be sitting with your sister?" Drcao asked.

" You know I have a sister? You didn't even know who I was, but you knew who my sister was?" Padma exclaimed a bit annoyed.

"Could you calm down. Besides Parvati looks a bit different than you, so I couldn't place my finger on who it was when you came in... does that make sense?"

"Yeah I guess...how is she and I diffent? We ARE identical twins." she looked at him, extremely curious.

"Um, well, if you compare your chin with hers, you can easily see that while hers is pointed, your is rounded. Also because you have a birthmark on the left of your eye, when she doesn't have any at all."

"How do you notice these stuff? I thought you hardly even look at us, considering the fact that you hardly know us."

"I tend to look at people closely, it's a habit…so, you didn't answer my question."

" What question?"

"How come you are not sitting with your sister?"

"Because of the fact that all she ever really talks about is who's hot and who's not. She never really talks about the wordly matters, something that is worth talking about, you know what I mean?"

" Sure..." he replied, looking at everyone around him. They seemed to look at the conversing couple suspiciously and tell one another their opinion or rumor about them.

" Hey do you care that I might be seen with you? I mean I don't have the perfect reputation".

Padma looked around. Her dark, exotic eyes narrowing a bit.

" These people don't have anything else to think about but to make up some stupid false rumors. I never really pay attention to them…oh, we've reached the school. We need to get off." Padma said a bit loudly. As soon as she got up, she looked over to him and said...

"You know...you're not so bad, but if you keep up with that badass reputation of yours, it's not going to change...but its not like you care, right Malfoy?" She turned away and got off the boat.

Draco winced at being called Malfoy. He was getting used to be called by his birth name. It still hurt to think that people still hated him so much to still call him by his last name. Recovering slowly, he got off the boat, alone, and with no one...sounded like the story of his life.

Draco woke up from a totally weird dream. It kind of creeped him out a little.

He is in an empty room which suddenly turns below 0 freezing point, yet he remains still, as if not affected by this. Draco, in the dream, starts walking towards a long corridor, somehow knowing where to go. After what seems like days walking, he finally enters a dark room, lit only by the raging fire in the middle.

A circle of people with masks are surrounding the fire. One of them turns to Draco and in a voice so cold, it could be ice, said

"So you have finally decided to join us, you pathetic excuse of a boy?"

Draco looked at his sneering father with a blank expression and suddenly a snake was called out with a hiss. The snake slid in front of him, changed its form into a rather pretty muggle girl and whispered " Save me...please!" She tranforms into some kind of misty smoke and blows away. Draco looks at the spot that she disappeared from. He took out his wand and pointed it at one particular person, but he couldn't see who it was. He didn't care anyway. " Adava Kedavra" he said in barely a whisper. Green light blinds him, screams filled the air. Draco blacks out.

He wakes up, writhing in cold sweat and ragged breathing. He wondered what that dream meant. He was pretty sure that was the initiation, but where was the Dark Lord? And what was up with that muggle girl, and why did she change into some kind of ghostly apparition and blow away? He shook his head as if trying to shake off his dream.

He looked at the beds across from him to make sure the so-called body guards are still sleeping. When he was sure they were, he slipped out the Slytherin entrance. He had forgotten to take his slippers, which would be so warm compared to this stone cold floor. However, he didn't care. He kept walking, not really knowing where to go.

A few minutes later, Draco found himself in front of the garden in the middle of the school. He sat down on the bench near the fairy flowers. The fairies, who were awaken by him, angrily hovered around his face and cursed in fairy language. Draco was so oblivious to all this. He seemed deep in thought. There were so much things going on in his life. For one thing, his initiation to be a deatheater was coming up. He would rather go smooch Pottyhead than to be the butt-kissing follower of the Dark Lord. Another thing was that he was so desperately lonely. He knew he had no real friends, and that just pissed him off. One girl that came to his mind when he thought about friend. ' Padma' She acted as is he was normal, not the son of an deatheater. That made him feel a bit happy. If she could continue this, who knows, maybe she will be able to finally draw a rare smile out of his face.

He sighed deeply and rubbed his eyes. It's never going to happen. She belongs in Ravenclaw and has probably forgotten about him already, her thinking deep about the worldly matters.

'Might as well go to sleep' he thought. He drudgingly got up and headed for the Slythrin dungeons.

In a dorm on the other side of the castle, a certain girl lay in bed thinking about the life of Draco Malfoy.

Author's Notes: So how is it? Review PLEASE! 


	2. Wondering

**Disclaimer: (breaks into a song) Don't own Harry Potter, the beloved hero, the hated enemy of Draaaaaaco.**

Chapter Two

The Great Hall was abuzz with the students chattering the following morning. This particularly annoyed Draco. After walking back to his dorm last night, he didn't sleep for the rest of the night. He tossed and turned so much, his silver and green blanket got all tangled up. As a result, when he got up to go to the bathroom, he tripped and fell flat on his face, thus creating a red mark on his pale forehead.

The mark stayed with him when he showered, when he got dressed, when he put on his infamous scowl and when he entered the Great Hall. He sat down next to Pansy Parkinson who turned to look at him with a sly smile on her face. It disappeared when she looked at his red injury on his forehead. Rather than being concerned at this, she screeched, her pug nose flaring while doing so:

"DRACO MALFOY!!!! HAVE YOU BEEN WITH SOME OTHER GIRL TRYING TO FEEL YOU UP????!!!!"

Draco slowly turned his head towards her, a glare radiating off his face. The Hall became so quiet you could hear a feather drop. The Gryffindors had a slight smile, looking as if they are trying so hard not to break the silence by their laughter. Draco was aware of the Slytherins looking at him, expecting him to apologize for this and state the real reason, but he was just tired of being someone he is really not. Grinning evilly, he looked at her in the enraged eyes and said in a calm voice laced with boredness:

" The answer to your rather loud question ( at this, Draco pretended to shake off something off his ear by tilting his head to the side and shaking), a girl has been feeling me up, actually no, I have been to her. It was rather enjoyable too, well, anything is much better than what you have done...Face it, you are just really, absolutely, outrageously....whispers pathetic. "

At this, Draco stood up and silently, but swiftly, grabbed a bagel, and exited the large room. Pansy stood in the same position, her facial expression changing almost rapidly to shocked, to anger, to far out sadness. She started sobbing, her face streaming with tears ( which seemed to make her even more unattractive) and she ran off to the exit, yelling in her ear-splitting high voice:

" Draaaakkkkyyyyy!!!! Wait, I am so sorry! I know you were only joking, but please come back to meeee!!!! Whaaaaaaaaaa!!!!"

The students looked until she was out of sight, and the Hall exploded with laughter, especially from the Gryffindors. Ron was wiping his eyes, Hermione was turning red, and Harry was nearly rolling off the floor. Even the teachers, Dumbledore mostly, had a twinkle in their eyes. Snape, however, just looked straight, with a scowl so deep, it could have caused trenches in his face itself.

The only person that wasn't joining into the laughing parade was Padma. She was staring at a blank space, thinking about what just happened. Yesterday, Malfoy seemed so nice and an actual human being. But when she had heard about him feeling up another girl, she wasn't so sure who he was anymore.

'Damn it!' she thought angrily ' I was so sure that he could be a good guy deep down. I guess there is always a first time I could be wrong'

She sighed and went back to the breakfast feast.

Padma walked back to her dorm. It was a tiring first day back. First she had double of Charms, it was ok, she could never get the hang of the Invisibility Charm. Many times she tried, but she could only make half of her object turn invisible. It looked kind of eerie then, but in Hogwarts, what's not creepy? After Charms, she had to face Snape in Potions. The guy has nothing else to do but to sneer and scream, not to mention take off like a million points from each house, especially Hufflepuff. Lunch was the same as always, her best friend talking and talking non-stop in her ear, while Padma stuffs her mouth with some delicious honey turkey sandwich, downing it with some pumpkin juice. The class after lunch was Transfigurations. It was a bit fun there. In this lesson, they had to try to transfigure their wands into a toy, any type of toy. Padma chose her favorite, a yo-yo. She didn't know why, but somehow it was thrilling to try to keep the yo-yo rolling, up, down, up and down.

Soon, Padma found herself in front if Rowena Ravenclaw's portrait bust. Clearing her throat, she said in a loud voice:

"Glittering stars"

The portrait moved to the left revealing a long hallway leading to the common room. The fire was blazing, the warmth was spread throughout the large place, yet no one was there. She was relieved. She didn't want to be bothered while she sat by the fire, pondering.

This was one of her absolute favorite thing to do, sit by the fire and just...think. Possibly daydream as well. As she sat by the fire, her books on the couch neatly placed in a pyramid-like pile, her mind kept drifting back to Malfoy. Why? She did not know, and did not want to know. Somehow, the incident in the Great Hall affected her in a weird way. Padma shook her head, she didn't want to think about him, he was worthless. But...in the train, when she saw all those scars, she felt pity for him. Even if no one would talk to him, listen to him, she was willing to do that. When she heard the argument in the Hall, she wasn't so sure anymore. She began to have doubts.

'I don't even believe that I'm thinking like this' she thought ' Malfoy doesn't need friends, not now, not ever. All he needs are his stupid bodyguards and his little sluts. I was wrong in thinking he needs someone.'

Padma sharply looked up. She felt a presence but she couldn't see anything. Getting too wigged out about this, she took her books to the girls' dormitory, dropped them on her bed, and went to take a nice, long, hot shower. Maybe all that "friendship feelings" will wash off her.

Meanwhile, Draco looked at a letter that a sophisticated owl dropped in. He read this slowly, absorbing every single information, every single word. When he finished, he tore up the paper and tossed it in the fire. The letter burned up, causing fire embers to spark by the cold dungeon floor. He closed his eyes and dropped on his bed into a deep, troubled sleep.

The silver-haired boy walked down the busy corridors to his first lesson of the day, Transfigurations. It was the first time that he would be sharing it with the Gryffindors. Not noticing the whispered conversations about him, he entered the classroom and was seated next to his "friends", Crabbe and Goyle. The lesson went on reviewing on what they had learned last year. Everyone seemed to do horribly since no one could exactly remember the lessons with the Dark Lord on the loose. The only person that did everything with ease was the Gryffindor smarty-pants, the bushy-haired, Hermione Granger, a Muggle. The lesson dragged on and on, eventually Draco's mind began to drift.

'I wonder how is Padma and where she is?' he thought to himself.

'Why do you care?' an inner voice replied back.

'I don't...the thought just entered my mind for no reason' he said back defensively.'

'Riight', the voice replied with some sarcasm.

'What does that mean?' Draco asked with suspicion, but there was no reply.

Shaking his head, he thought one last thought...' I think I am going insane.'

Finally after some time, the class ended and Draco headed back to his dorm to get his books for the next lesson, Herbology. While he was walking to the greenhouse, he noticed a door next to a fairy statue that he had never noticed before. Feeling a bit rebellious, he looked around in the deserted hall, and moved slowly towards the door. It was an unusual looking door and Draco was surprised he never noticed it. It was a deep cherry-wood with a silverish glaze over it that turned to gold glaze in a different light. When he was done inspecting it, he looked around for a doorknob, but there was none to be found. Instead there was a lock, but a odd looking lock. It was shaped like a weeping willow, and it was copperish-bronze. Draco took out his long wand and cleared his throat.

"Alohamora!"

Nothing happened. He tried again, more strongly this time, but the result was the same. Someone came up from behind him and startled him. He whirled around to see who it was and inwardly groaned.

"What are you doing here? You are late for Herbology, but if you want to skip off, I wouldn't mind." the pug-nosed girl said to Draco rather slyly.

"I am here because...I felt like it. Is that a problem?" Raising an light eyebrow, he tilted his head towards Pansy as if daring her to question him.

"No, but I like it when you are so...authoritive! It is sooo...sexy!" Pansy said with her hopeful seductiveness.

The boy standing opposite of her just rolled his eyes and headed towards the greenhouse once again, leaving her stranded. Before following after him, she looked at the space where Malfoy was looking at and found only the normal gray stone wall. Felling more confused as ever, she ran to catch up with him.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the door, a raven-haired girl, stared out the beautiful scenery overlooking the green hills and the grand lake.

Author's Notes: How is it?? PLEASE review!


	3. Peeking into the past

Disclaimer: Eh, you know the story!!

Chapter Three:

Malfoy walked to his first class, Potions. Fortunately for him, he wasn't with the Gryffindors again this year, but he felt like this was the only thing that was good news in his life lately. He took a seat, near the end of the row, so he could be close to the exit when class was over, he didn't feel like sticking around and chatting with Snape.

It seems like Snape was watching his every move, not romantically mind you, but in a way like he was trying to find out whether he was going to follow his dad's wishes to become a Deatheater. Despite what everyone thought, Snape and Draco were not close. In fact, they both would often get into arguments. Malfoy knew almost immediately when he came to Hogwarts that Snape was an undercover deatheater, secretly working for Albus Dumbledore. Snape knew that he knew. Therefore, they engaged in many, a countless arguments on whether Draco would join the dark side or stay on Dumbledore's good side. Truth was, he just wants to be neutral. He wasn't exactly fond of being involved in the battle of good versus evil, he just wanted to live his life the way he wanted it. Besides, he couldn't care less for goody-two-shoes Potter and his faithful, waiting on his foot sidekicks.

After about five minutes of thinking, the rest of his classmates started pouring in. Draco studied them, trying to figure out what house he was stuck with. It was Ravenclaw. Not bad, he didn't exactly want to be stuck with a bunch of know-it-alls but that meant that Snape won't be turning to him for an answer for every single question. That was particularly annoying. He would've gave the wrong answer on purpose if it wasn't for that stupid Granger, he wanted so badly to beat her.

As Malfoy watched the rest of the class come in, he wondered whether Padma would be in this class or not. He shook off the thought, why should he care right? After that incident with...wait what was her name, oh yeah...Pansy in the Great Hall, he was almost positive that she didn't even want him near her. At that same moment, Pansy came by his desk and attempted to sit on the empty seat next to Malfoy. Malfoy quickly put his books there and said:

"Sorry, it's being saved"

"Oh yeah? By whom?"

Padma entered the room, looking for an empty seat, but alas there was none to be found...except the seat next to a particular person...

"By her. Padma! Come over here and sit down. Don't be shy!" Draco said, with a bit of fake happiness, his eyes darting fearfully at Pansy and Padma.

Padma walked over there slowly with a deeply confused look on her face. What was Malfoy playing at? Then she spotted Pansy glaring at her, a look filled with such hatred, Padma was sure she could burst into fire if her eyes were locked with Pansy's for a while. Padma reached the seat, Draco removed his pile of books, and she sat down, hesitantly. Draco looked back at Pansy with a smirk on his face, his silver eyes colder than ice.

"Guess what Pansy, you just have to find someplace else to sit. Sorry, maybe if you came a bit earlier? Well, I wouldn't expect it since the fat that you lug around is just going to slow you down, but, try and try again!"

The class, who was watching the situation intently, heard that and gasped. Then gradually, like a domino effect, the class started to laugh. Pansy looked all around, her eyes welling up in tears. She broke down crying and rushed out of the room. At the same moment, Snape entered the room. He looked at the class, who were still laughing hysterically, and snorted in disgust. These kids nowadays were having too much fun, they are never going to learn.

Padma looked at Draco, with a surprised look on her face. Draco looked back, with a playful look in his face, but a bit of pain and guilt in his eyes. Padma turned and looked at Snape, ready for today's lesson plans, but her only thought was:

"I guess he is human after all, in his own, strange, insultive way".

Snape turned around and faced the class.

"Silence! I won't have the class misbehaving in the most unaccepted way. Now, today we are going to work on the Past Potion, a potion in which, when made correctly, can result in you seeing your partner's past. Now, I will choose your partners."

Draco's insides froze. A Past Potion...his partner will be able to see his past? That's bad, tremendously bad. He didn't want anyone seeing his past, it was too horrible to be seen. He looked angrily at Snape, who just ignored him. He then turned to Padma, who was deep in thought, her face displaying a slight panic. Guess, she has things in the past that doesn't want to be seen. Snape came up to their side.

" Malfoy and Patil, you will be partners. You have until the end of this class to make the potion and use it on each other. Don't waste it on fooling around."

Padma nodded, her past was going to be seen by Malfoy? This is the worst thing that will happen. Who knows what Malfoy is going to do when he sees it. At the same time, Malfoy was dreading the thought of Padma looking into his past, she has already seen the scars on his back, isn't that enough, but she has to see his past too? Fate is playing with him.

They faced each other, and started on the potion. A bit of sage, chamomile, and thyme was added along with eye of newt, tounge of a frog, and the heart of a shrew. The brains of the bowtruckle has also been added. After being stirred at exactly 50 times, fal clockwise, and the other half counter-clockwise, the potion was ready.

Snape announced at the near edn of the class that the potion should be ready by now and had reached a pinkish green color. They could test it on each other. Padma and Malfoy looked at each other.

Padma said, " I'll go first, go ahead, drink the potion."

Draco replied back, "No, why don't I go first, you can drink the potion."

"No please, I INSIST!"

"I INSIST!!!"

"Fine, why don't we toss a coin?"

"Okay, call it"

"Heads!"

Draco looked at her mischievously, "It's tails, you lose. Come on, down that potion."

Padma looked at him suspiciously and carefully took the potion. Closing her eyes tightly she drank the potion, making a sour face. In less than 15 seconds, she closed her eyes, and Draco was being sucked.

Draco was in a bright, white room. There was a nothing there with the exception on a white table with a white flower in a white vase.

'This is Padma's memory? What is she, a robot?' Draco thought.

Soon the room flooded with images, flipping backwards in sonic speed. Draco watched amazed. This went on for at least ten minutes, Draco was getting bored. After the ten minutes passed by, he was considering getting out of here, but then the flipping images stopped to one single image, moving in normal speed. Draco watched.

It was a house in the suburbs, a pretty decent looking one. It was cream with red trimmings and shutters. There was a plush green front yard and the backyard was littered with various magic toys. Draco heard some noises, but the image didn't move towards the noise. Then he noticed something. The picture seemed so real, he felt like he was actually in Padma's memories. He touched the screen and was pushed through.

He landed on the green grass and tripped a little. He quickly regained his posture. He walked towards the noise. It was located in the backyard, in a tree house. He climbed up the poorly built tree house and peeked in. It was young Padma and Parvati, playing wizard's chess.

"Bishop to I-5" commanded Padma

The Bishop moved to its said location and destroyed Parvati's queen.

"No fair!" screamed Parvati

Draco smiled a bit. He never had anyone to play with he was young. He had his mother, but his mother was always too busy to tend to him so they hired an old nanny for him. But the nanny was boring and often made him read books like The Old Man and the Sea, which in his opinion was the most boring story ever.

Padma and Parvati stopped the game, Padma won. They ran down the ladder leading to the treehouse and went inside the house. Malfoy followed.

There, their mother awaited them with a plate of freshly-baked chocolate chip cookies. The girls grabbed one or two and went to the living room and ate them there. They shared cookies and laughed when one of them got chocolate stains on their faces. It seemed like they were truly enjoying the joys of childhood.

Suddenly, the image was gone and was replaced with the same white room that Draco was in before. Malfoy waited patiently, he knew there was more. Lo and behold, there was. This time it was when Parvati and Padma entered Hogwarts for the first time. They both looked identically scared. They were waiting at the steps. Draco saw himself, facing Harry and making fun of him and criticizing Harry for joining the wimps. The present-form Draco winced. Was he really like that? God, he was an obnoxious little kid.

The Patils entered the Hall, holding hands and looking terrified. Padma got onto the stool first and looked relieved that was placed in Ravenclaw but was greatly disappointed when Parvati was placed in Gryffindor. Before joining their classmate in their common rooms, they gave each other huge hugs and promised to meet at the Tower as much as they can so they will never grow apart.

The white room came back. Draco was getting quick-tempered. When was this going to end? There's nothing to see here. Finally, another image came. It was back at home, during a summer vacation. Parvati and Padma are in their rooms, holding on to each other and crying. Draco heard screams coming from downstairs. He slowly went downstairs. He saw the girl's parents holding their wands in protection against another man facing them, who looked remarkably like the father.

They shouted in Hindi, the unknown guy sending sparks everywhere with his wand which was pointed at them. The mother said something that seemed to make the guy even more furious and he pointed his wand at her and screamed "Avada Kedavra!" The father quickly reacted by jumping in front of the mother. The last thing he said to her before he died was to ask her to tell the girls that he loved them so much. Then he breathed his last.

The image flashed forward to the funeral day. It was a rainy day and everyone stood outside dressed in black. Parvati and Padma looked depressingly at the hole in ground, dug for their father. Everyone left, talking quietly. Draco heard some people blaming them for their uncle's anger.

"I heard that they provoked him while he was drunk. They should know better to do this", one of the old ladies said to her husband who nodded his head.

Draco got mad at them for that. They didn't provoke him. He knew, he saw it.

He looked back at the twins. Tears were streaming like rivers down their brown skins now, their mother clung both of them. The images started to fade.

Draco was back in the white room. He felt sad for them. It was ironic how they had a father who loved them so much he died for them and his wife and they never wished him dead. Meanwhile, his own father was such a bastard that he wished that he was dead, but it never happens. He wondered how it felt to have a loving father.

The white room started to fade away, the colors started to come back, he was returning to the classroom. Everyone was coming about. A few of them looked dazed, some looked scared, some laughed, some looked sad, and Draco was one of them. Padma looked at him,

"Had fun?" She asked sarcastically

"I'm so sorry" He replied softly, his eyes cast downward.

Padma eyes widened a bit. She immediately turned sad.

"Thanks." She said.

"Ok, class, wasn't that amusing. Now it's time to switch partners. Go on now, drink the potion." Said Snape

"OK, you ready?" asked Padma

"I guess, just don't be so shocked ok?" Draco replied.

"Yeah" she said.

Draco downed the potion and started to feel a bit drowsy. Padma fades to the infamous white room.

Padma stood in the white room, rubbing her eyes. The brightness of the room almost blinded her. What happened? There was nothing going on. This is his memory? No wonder people call him cold and heartless. He has nothing stored inside his heart and mind. Then suddenly she notices a small spot in the white wall that started to expand and grow. It grew and grew until it was a size of an IMAX theater. Padma watched, amazed and enthralled.

It was a house, no, not a house, a mansion and a huge one at that. It was a dark and gloomy place, covered with gravel and no gardens. There was a fountain, but it was of an evil-looking vampire. His eyes seemed to bore into Padma's head and she quickly looked away. This was his home? No wonder why he looked so malicious all the time.

Padma noticed a movement to her left. It was a tiny boy with slicked-back blond hair and icy grey eyes. It was Draco, of course, who else would it be? He was heading towards the house, looking over his shoulder constantly as if someone was following. He was also limping a bit. Padma followed him inside. The internal part of the house was as dark and depressing as the external. Malfoy rushed up the main stairways and hurried to his room. Padma followed.

His room was large, majestic, and yet again, gloomy. It was green and black with only one window and a thick black curtain was drawn. The room had torches, magically lit of course, on the opposite sides of the walls. Padma watched as the young panicked boy spread something on his bed. It was colorful and she smelled something sweet, like candy, like Snickers or Crunch. He looked pleased. He started to stuff them in his mouth, taking bunch rather than taking it one by one.

While he was devouring the candy, Padma saw that a door opened from a wall. It was a hidden door, so well hidden, one could barely see the outline of the door. His father entered the room, holding something, and from her instincts, she could tell it wasn't something good. Padma was amazed at the similarities that both father and son had in their looks.

"Draco, my dear son, are you enjoying yourself?" His father said coldly, with no hint of concern or care.

Draco stiffened his back and dropped the candy that had been wrapped around his hands.

"Father, I didn't realize you would be back so soon" He answered in a small voice

"No, of course not son. Do you realize that you have disobeyed me?"

"Yes, but I only wanted candy, Blaise was talking about how good they were and I just wanted to try-"

"I don't care, you left the house, and what is worse, you bought mudblood's candy. How dare you put that impure filth in your body?"

"I'm sorry father, I promise to never do that again"

"Well, sorry isn't enough, is it Draco? Kindly remove your shirt…now."

Draco started to tremble violently and straightened to remove his shirt. Padma gasped at what she saw. The boy's pale body was full of scars, some of them still fresh and bleeding. She looked at his father, hoping to see some kind of concern some kind of compassion on his face, but instead, he looked like a little child about to get something wonderful.

"Stand against that wall."

Draco went there slowly, still trembling, his breaths coming out in short, panicked gasps.

His father revealed a whip that had sharp metal tips. He raised his arms.

Padma wanted to protect him and she was just about to when she realized that she was being pulled away from them. The only thing she heard were painful screams from Draco.

She was back in the white room. Padma was shocked and saddened. No one deserved to be treated that way, not even Malfoy. All that, and just for eating Muggle candy? That was cruel and totally unwarranted.

She then saw something else, another image moving and growing. She watched, afraid of what was coming.

She was in Draco's library. It was a regal room, almost as big as the Hogwarts Library. It was decorated in deep green and black, and bits of silver around the place. Draco was sitting on a plush, luxurious loveseat, concentrating deeply on the book that he was poring over. Padma took the time to look at him. This must have been last year or something because he doesn't look any different then than he does now. His hair wasn't slicked back anymore, it hung down, messy, but framed his face well.

Somebody entered the room, it was his mother, Narcissa.

"Draco, your father is looking for you." She said to Draco, no emotion present in her voice.

"Why?" He replied, without looking at his mother.

"I think it has something to do with the initiation coming up soon."

Draco looked up with disgust in his eyes. The initiation?

"Fine, I'll talk to Father dearest"

Draco unwillingly got up from his chair and set his book back in the appropriate place. He walked down the long, dark hallway.

His father met him in the Study.

"Son, you have reached that age when you are ready to be initiated in the Dark Lord's circle. Before the initiation, you will have to attend numerous meeting, just as a formality. Tomorrow will be the first, dress decent, black. And if you do anything against my orders and find a way to embarrass me, you can certainly look forward to something…special later at the house. Understood?"

"Yes, Father. But I have decided something."

His father looked at him, his eyes clouding over, his rage starting to surface.

"What is that, Draco?"

"I'm not going to serve the Dark Lord. I don't want to be initiated."

His father laughed mirthlessly.

"I'm afraid you have no choice."

"I'm not going to do it, that's it, it's my final decision."

Draco turned around and started to exit the Study when he felt white hot daggers poking at his bone. He turned around and saw his father whispering Crucious to him, pointing at him his black wand.

Draco skirmed and twisted, but he let out no scream or agony, he won't let his father win. He dropped to the floor and was seizing around. Padma stood there, watching helplessly.

What was wrong with his father, he has no soul, no conscience?

Padma was being pulled back into the white room, she then was being pulled back into reality.

Draco and Padma woke up, startled. Draco looked into her wide, terrorized eyes, and gave her a sad smile.

"Do you like what you see?" He said to her.

The bell rang, and Draco was out of that room, faster than anyone else.

Author's Notes: Review please! 


	4. A Different Viewpoint

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter or the characters. . . simple as that. 

Chapter Four:

It was that time of the week again. The once-a-week reunion with her sister at the Astronomy Tower. It was late at night on the same day of the Past Potions incidence. Padma stood by the balcony that clearly viewed the stars and the huge and luminous moon. Padma looked out to the night sky, watching the stars twinkle, high above the Astronomy Tower. It was late at night and her sister was late…as usual. What was she up to now?

As she waited she thought about her day, mainly about what happened in Potions class. It was horrible what happened to Malfoy. Padma thought no one deserved it, even Malfoy. It was no wonder he was never nice to people, he never knew exactly what kindness was.

'Where was his mother in all this?' she wondered. In each memory, his mother was nowhere to be found. 'It could either be that she didn't know, or that she didn't care…somehow, I think it's the latter.'

Before Padma's mind drifted even further, her sister came running up the stairs leading to the Astronomy Tower. Padma sharply turned around and met her sister with a glare upon her face.

"Hey, mind telling me where you were this time?" Padma asked angrily.

Parvati looked at her guiltily, "Um, well, see there was this girl with only one leg and she asked me to help her get up the stairs, and how could I refuse. . . you don't believe me do you?"

"Gee, you think? It was too creative, next time, go for something simple." Padma replied back, her anger easing off a bit. She could never be too annoyed at her sister, after all, they went through everything together.

Parvati grinned, her pearly whites flashing even in the darkest of nights. "So, did you miss me?"

"Eh, not much. No, I missed you a lot. I wish you could be in my house."

"No, you should be in my house."

"Oh Merlin! We're not going to start this again are we?"

"No, sorry. So, what's the news of the moment, dear sister?" Parvati asked.

Padma looked at her closely, should she tell her? After all, she was her sister and they did understand a lot about each other. But then again, she can overreact a bit and Padma certainly didn't want that to happen.

"Well, nothing exciting, yet. The classes are pretty much good, the people are good, and no sorts of trouble have been brewing about. How about you?"

"There's not much news except…I have a boyfriend!"

"Oh my gosh, really? Whom, may I ask?"

"Yes you may, and it's Adam from Hufflepuff. Oh wow, he is so great."

"Adam? That airhead prat? Honestly, what do you see him? All he does is check his reflection every five seconds. If he doesn't have mirror in handy, I'm so sure he'll have to check himself into St.Mungo's for a mental check-up."

"Oh please, he's only worried about his appearances. I like a guy who knows how to keep himself in order, I mean, would you rather like a guy who has the hygiene like a rat?"

"No, but I wouldn't want a vain idiot either."

"Oh! You never support the guys I pick! What is the matter with you?!"

"What is the matter with me?! You're the one that always picks guys that are worthless and is a waste of space!"

"Oh, I should've never told you about Adam, I should've known you would get like this!"

Padma looked at Parvati carefully. She didn't want another argument that ended up with not speaking to each other for weeks at a time. The last time that happened, it was complete torture.

"Look, I just don't want another guy to hurt you again. You were miserable last time and it pained me. I just don't want for you to go through the same thing again." Padma said sadly.

"I appreciate it, but then you have to let me learn my own way. Granted it may be difficult, but it will teach me." Parvati replied back.

"You're right."

"Besides, he is quite attractive." Parvati commented with a twinkle in her eyes.

"Ah, I guess so. Just be careful."

"Of course."

It was starting to get really late and both girls were getting tired. They hugged each other and said their good-byes. Parvati smiled and walked away. Padma watched her for a while and walked the opposite direction, towards her house entrance. Along the way, she thought about her sister's boyfriend, Adam. She had seen Adam surrounded by hordes of girls regularly. She was so sure that he was a player who had a girl for each night. No, that boy was not even worth it.

The library was cold, the roaring fire beginning to fade. Draco was seated at the window ledge and looked out the window. He was thinking about the events that happened that day, most especially about how Padma saw his past. The look on her face afterwards was pity, and he hated that, he hated it so much. However, it was nice to know that she did have some compassion for him, when no one else did.

What was he thinking? She didn't have compassion, she was probably just disgusted, but was too polite to say anything. Of course, that must be the reason, everything else wouldn't make sense.

Why was he still dwelling on this?

He looked away from the window. The library was nearly isolated now; only Madame Pinch remained, arranging some papers. It was getting late and he really should get to the dungeons before anyone noticed him gone.

'That is IF anyone noticed me gone,' he thought.

Draco took one last look out the window, to see the beauty of the stars against the dark sky again, but then he noticed something, up above at the Astronomy Tower. The object of his thoughts was talking…no fighting… with someone. He strained a bit closer to see and was surprised to see that it was her sister. What were they fighting about? Whatever it was it made Padma furious. He could see her dark eyes glinting in anger, her face screwed up in a deep scowl while she gestured her hands wildly at Parvati. He chuckled. Even though the situation seemed serious, she still managed to look silly.

What was happening now? His neck was starting to hurt from straining his head to see. But Draco strained even more. Padma looked like she calmed down and was hugging her sister now. They parted ways and Padma watched her go, but she still looked sad.

Draco suddenly had the sudden urge to fly to her and make her feel better. He snapped back, his back straight.

'Where did that come from?' he thought.

Shaking his head slowly, he got up and walked out of the library.

The next day, Draco was seated in Potions, waiting for class to begin. Snape was sneaking glances at him often and it was annoying the hell out of Draco. Just when he was about to get and punch him, the class started pouring in. He sat up suddenly, his eyes searching for that person, the girl that prodded into his past. She finally strolled in, one of the last people to do so. To his disappointment, she sat with her friends on the other side.

'Well, I should've expected that right? I mean, why was I even interested?' he wondered bitterly.

Draco put his head down and closed his eyes for a moment. He only opened them again at Snape's voice.

"Today, we are going to focus on the making of a Wolfsbane potion. It can come in handy in many occasions, including suppressing a person you know that was bitten. The ingredients are listed on the board. For you illiterates, I will read to you once, and once only, then you can read and do the rest. The ingredients are as followed: rosemary, a bit of liquid silver, a teardrop from a pixie…." Snape droned on and on.

Padma took that time to look at Draco. He was staring at Snape, but he wasn't listening at all, she could tell. His eyes had that faraway look to them. Yesterday must have been one of the most traumatic experiences that he had to go through. She felt really bad for him.

"You can pair up with anybody this time, frankly I don't have the patience today to deal with your complaining and whining. You may start now, supplies are at the front table." Snape finished.

Padma looked up and saw her friend Mattie, short for Mathilda, walk towards her.

"Hey, want to work together?" Mattie asked.

"Er, not today Mattie, I'm going to work with someone different this time." Padma replied, regretting it immediately.

She got up and walked slowly towards Malfoy, whose head was still down, and his head in space.

"Hi, Malfoy, want to work together?" Padma asked a bit nervously.

A surprised Malfoy lifted his head and narrowed his eyes in suspicion, and nodded. She sat down a bit far, but next to him.

"So, you want to get the supplies? I'll get the avocado juice boiling." Padma asked.

He shrugged and got up at a snail's pace to get the supplies. Padma sighed. This was going to be a long period.


End file.
